When we believe in Jesus, we are not just declared righteous in a legal sense, but we are also made new at the core of our being. We are given a new heart and a new spirit (Ezekiel 36:26-27), and we become partakers of the divine nature (2 Peter 1:4). This transformation means that we are truly righteous, not just in theory but in reality. We are no longer slaves to sin but have become slaves of righteousness (Romans 6:18).